Future of the Church: Weiden is planning a large parish community
Future of the Church: Weiden is planning a large parish community
The latest developments within the Catholic Church in the Neustadt an der Waldnaab district have brought the foundation of a single large parish community in the city of Weiden. This represents a significant step in the pastoral development and reacts to various challenges with which the church is faced.
Challenge of low number of priests
In the region there is a noticeable lack of priestly staff. Dean Alexander Hösl explains that the church does not have enough clergymen due to the church crisis and demographic change to adequately provide all parishes. This means that the number of services is expected to be reduced, but every believer will still have the opportunity to attend a service nearby. The pastoral development by 2034 will therefore play a major role to facilitate the transition for almost 92,000 Catholics in the Weiden district
the preservation of the identity of the parishes
In the discussion about the new structure of the parish community, those responsible emphasize that the identity of the individual parishes should not be lost. Vice Dean Johannes Lukas from the parish of St. Konrad has clear ideas in this regard: he would like to make sure that pastoral care is preserved for the municipalities and does not work in an anonymous structure. "There should be no soup in which they go under," he says, while the pastors of Weiden have emphasized the important role of the community.
Weiden as a special case
The city of Weiden is particularly in focus, which is changed significantly by the upcoming parish fusion. The parish of St. Josef was set almost unanimously as the parish seat, but many aspects of the new community remain open and still need to be discussed. The future and structure of this community is also subjected to an intensive review process. The first step in this direction has already been taken, and the diocese must now make further decisions.Common challenges with the Evangelical Church
The developments in the Catholic Church are also reflected in the Evangelical Church, which has recently merged dean's offices. Dean Thomas Guba emphasizes that it is about creating structures that improve both personal care and efficiency. The pressure to find innovative paths to the future design of the church is clearly noticeable on both sides, since many municipalities are fighting with declines from members and a lack of young people.
outlook on the coming years
The coming years will be crucial to observe how the changes within the parish communities in the region are accepted by the faithful. An appeal from Dean Hösl to the pastors and parishioners are clear: "We should work together and not form fronts." The challenge is to preserve both tradition and to find innovative ways to the future of the church.
vohenstrauß 20.01.2023
Weiden in the Upper Palatinate 08.07.2024
Information about the Deanery Neustadt an der Waldnaab
- region: district of Neustadt and the city of Weiden.
- Dean: Alexander Hösl, parish community Vohenstrauß.
- Vicekeans: Daniel Frenk, parish office Grafenwöhr, Johannes Lukas, parish office of Weiden St. Konrad.
- comprises 46 individual parishes that are summarized into 10 parish groups.
- approximately 92,000 Catholics on around 1490 km².
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